Page 579 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883_Neat

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RESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCT FOR 1882-83.
the Mckran
in A. D. 1784-. Tko ports of Gwadur and Charbar on
coast were also acquired by Seyyid Sultdn.
On tlio death of Scyyid Sultan, his sons Salim pud Sa'eed became
joint rulers of 'Oman, Muscat being now the recoguised capital. Their
uncle Sa'ced continued to hold the title of ffImarn" and to reside
at Rastdk, but the temporal power had passed from him.
It may be noted that the title "Sultan," which is now applied
to the rulers of 'Oman, has never been generally employed by the
'Omances to their rulers; it is really, as applied to them, of foreign
origin.
Although Seyyid Salim was the elder son of Sultan, and nominally
joint ruler, he appears to have yielded precedence to his younger brother
Sa'eed, who really administered the affairs of the government.
Of the elder branches of the family of the Iinam Ahmed-bin-Sa'eed,
Seyyid Kais-bin-Ahmed was Governor of Sohar at the time of the
succession of Seyyids Salim and Sa'eed, and their cousin Bedr-bin-Seyf,
who was engaged in an unsuccessful rebellion in the time of Seyyid
Sultan, bad taken asylum with the Wahabee Ameer. A Waliabee garri-
son garrisoned El-Bereymee, and the province of EUDhabirah was
virtually independent of Muscat. Seyyid Keis lost no time in opposing
his nephews and succeeded in taking possession of several places on the
Balinah coast, and Seyyids Salim and Sa'eed were forced to have recourse
to their cousin Bcdr-bin Seyf, who, from his influence with the Nejdian
Ameer, was able to obtain the aid of a Wababee force. Civil war was
waged between the two factions for some years with varying success.
Eventually Seyyid Keis was restricted to Sohar.
The power and influence acquired by Seyyid Bedr-bin-Seyf^ and his
position with the Wahabees, aroused the jealousy and apprehensions of
Seyyid Sdeed, who resolved to get rid of him, and murdered him, under
circumstances of great treachery, at a place near Burka. This event led
to a reconciliation between Seyyid Sa'eed and his uncle Seyyid Keis.
And the two, in alliance, engaged in an attack on the Jowasim at Khor
Fakdn, on the B&tinah coast, on which occasion the Seyyids were
defeated, and Keis slain. His son Azzan then became Governor of
Sohar under the protection of Seyyid Sa’eed.
In the year 1806, during the ascendancy of Bedr-bin-Seyf, the
British and Muscat naval forces acted in concert against the Jowasira
pirates.
In 1808 the Waliabees established their influence aa far as Muscat
and commenced to propagate their tenets forcibly; a certain amount of
British support was accorded to the Muscat State, but it was mot
thorough and so unavailing to repress the Wahabee aggressions, and in
1810 the Wahabee Ameer Su'ood's 6ons apd his agent Mutlak-el-
Muteyrce overran 'Oman to its eastern shores, and the Seyyids of 'Omdn
were obliged to consent to pay a yearly “ saMt” or tribute, to the
Wahabee Ameer.
The • subsequent reverses of the Wahabees relieved 'Omdn from
their aggressions for a period of some twenty years.*
Seyyid Sa'ecd (for his brother Sdlim appears to have taken little or
no share in the government) was chiefly engaged at this period of hia
reign in fighting the Jowdsim, and on two occasions, in 1811 and 1815*
attacked Bahrain, but without any good result to himself, *
On the